Dear Diary - May 5, 2014 - Fiction

Dear diary,                                                                           

Monday, May 5th, 2014

Ellie here. 

At the warmest today, it was 68 degrees. 

 This morning when we were ready to sit down to eat breakfast Simon came in the kitchen and smelled just awful. I said, "Simon! Have you fallen into the slop pail?" He looked at me with his baby blue eyes and said, "No mom, When I went out to bring the cows in from the pasture for their morning milking Trixie came with me and she scared up a rabbit and the rabbit went running in front of me with Trixie hot on the rabbit's tail and they tripped me and I fell sideways  into a cow patty. I didn't think I should come to the house and change in case I have another mishap before breakfast so I scooted around in the clean grass and got most of it off my clothes and then I washed up in the barn when I got back to the barn with the cows. I could hardly believe how matter of fact he finds all this. I would have had to come to the house and gotten cleaned up if that had happened to me.  All I said was, "well Simon you better quick go take a shower and change your clothes before breakfast." 

The "stink" in our kitchen and through the house lingered all day. But I didn't care, it made me glad that my boy was safe and sound and nothing worse had happened to him. 

Simon, my wonderful little eight year old. How I love you. I love your adventuresome ways and how nothing ever daunts you. I love that you can fall into cow patties and keep on doing your chores. I see your father's strength and determination and my zest for life bred into you. May your life always be full of things that will keep you challenged and learning. I'm so glad God saw fit to make me your mama!

After a breakfast of eggs, toast, hash brown, ham slices and some canned fruit cocktail the three girls and I cleaned up the kitchen and after the table was cleared and most of the dishes done I told the girls they could get started on baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies and while they did that I gathered the laundry together and headed to the wash room in the basement because there was no way I was going to have Simon's stinky clothes laying around for more than an hour past breakfast! 

Sometimes I when I allow myself to, I wish for an electric washer and dryer. My neighbor, Karen, is a young Mennonite lady and she has a washer and dryer and sometimes I feel jealous, even on rainy days she can keep on doing her routine housework with never a worry. But then I have to remember what Bishop Sam always says, "We should not look at the world and see what they have and long for things because those newfangled things don't get you anywhere but closer to hell." 

Sometimes I wonder about that. Is everybody who is not Amish...worldly? Karen seems like such a nice lady, demure in her ways and soft spoken and it makes me wonder if she is worldly, she goes to church and she and her husband even carry their Bibles to church. Doesn't that make them a Christian? I know I shouldn't be asking these questions and wonder about this stuff too deeply, but I can write it in my diary at least, maybe one day I will find an answer? 

The little girls did good, their batch of chocolate chip cookies were all done and put up in the Tupperware container by the time I was finished hanging out the last bit of laundry. I can depend on Anna to keep the other two straight. For being twelve years old she sure is such a help and she is so patient with the two little girls. I think she is going to end up being a school teacher and when she gets married she will be a good mother. I can see that in her already. 

By the time we had finished with our cookie baking and laundry it was time to start dinner. John likes to eat his big meal at lunch time and then eat less at supper time. We heated up the last of the poor man's steak we had made for Sunday dinner yesterday and then we made a fresh pot of mashed potatoes and we had leftover corn and seven layer salad which ended up being plenty. I told the girls that I would be happy if all of the leftovers would be finished up because our refrigerator was getting so full of food. We had the last of the cherry pie and I added some ice cream to dessert to make so that the pie went around the table and everyone got a bite of dessert. It is so handy to have a gas refrigerator, boy, how I remember the days when the ice man came and filled up the ice box. There was no ice cream in those days. 

After dinner we quickly washed up the dishes and Anna swept the kitchen floor while six year old Arie ran the slop out to the pigs and then we all took a nap. John, Simon and little Junior were in the living room reading and falling asleep and the girls and I followed suit. We each found something to read but in the end we all got a few minutes of shut eye. John woke up first and got up and grabbed his hat and when he slammed the front door is when I woke up. I couldn't believe it was going on 2 o'clock already! We must have all been a little more tired than we thought! 

I woke up the children and the boys went out to be with John, he was working on some harness today, some of it had torn when he was plowing the other day and so he has to fix it before he can use the team again. Plowing is finished, but the planting is just beginning, so he will need that harness in fine shape during the next couple of weeks. It helps that he used to work in a harness shop years ago and is now able to fix some smaller issues for himself. 

The girls and I went outside to the garden and we planted some lettuce and peas and radishes. I'm thinking by next week I will have to plant more of the garden and make a trip to the greenhouse. 

After we finished up in the garden the girls and I put away the fresh laundry and then we all went to the barn to help out with the chores. Once the milking was done with I came inside and got supper started. I decided to have some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. The kids love them and John likes a light bowl of soup after chores. For dessert I just opened up a can of peaches and a can of pears and we had some chocolate cake to go with the fruit if anyone wanted it. I like to cook and use up what is on my canning shelves in the basement. I want to clear off those shelves before canning season starts  up again. 

Well, diary, it was a long and fruitful day. I'm sitting here on our porch swing tonight and it is a little bit chilly. I have my jacket on, as the temps have dropped to 43 degrees according the thermometer in the window here on the porch. The rest are inside one by one taking their showers and getting ready for bed. John popped pop corn for everyone, so I know we will be sweeping up the living room floor first thing in the morning. As I end this entry in my diary I am feeling glad for all the little things that happened today. Nothing major happened except for Simon having his stinky mishap early this morning. Otherwise I would call it a productive day. 

Ellie